Recent content by ChalfontStGiles

I suppose "niggle" does sound a bit less negative than "disadvantage" :).

I don't see the lack of focus motor as a major disadvantage as it makes the body smaller and lighter. If the OP is just starting out he/she is unlikely to have legacy lenses and there's plenty of choice in lenses with built-in focus motor (AF-S?). I agree about the focus points but I generally...

I've got one and I think it's a great camera. On the minus side it lacks some features of the more expensive models (auto bracketing comes to mind) and doesn't have as many external controls. However on the plus side it's lightweight, has excellent battery life and all the main controls are...

I'm no fan of PayPal, but (as others have mentioned above), it's important to understand the delays in the system. Remember when banks used to hold onto your money under the guise of cheque clearing times? Well, they're not allowed to do that any more but what they do still do is delay refunds...

I can only answer based on my own lenses but only my 14 and 20mm primes were MIJ, the zooms were made in China. Don't let that put you off though.

I have a couple of "proper" lens pouches (one Nikon, one Panasonic) but I also use the small cloth bag that came with some leather item. As long as you don't bash your stuff about it should be fine.

I've got the 45-150. I went for this one as it's a bit smaller and lighter than the 200 version. I can cope with the loss of a bit of extra range.

Can you set the camera to spot focus and have the focus point peer through the openings in the fence? You'll have to get close up to the fence to do this.

Sorry, I haven't been around for a while. Some good discussion in this thread.

Panasonic 45-150 or 45-200. The latter has been around longer and there are plenty of secondhand examples around. It will give a 35mm equivalent of 400mm which should get you close enough. A real budget alternative would be a manual lens from a 35mm camera with a suitable adapter. However...

Yes, good point.

I considered both these models recently and decided that the extra for the D5300 wasn't worth it and went for the D3300 instead. The controls on each are similar and the 5300 has only a couple of additional features that I felt I could live without. You can put the saving towards another lens.

What's a nerd? Is the same as a troll?

Thanks for your reply. I'm pretty au fait with Gimp as it's a tool I use on an almost daily basis. Raw processing is a fairly new thing for me though so it's goo to get some recommendations. I looked at Digikam some years ago when I toyed with a KDE distro. Will have to give it another go...

Panasonic GF1. If I need to set the exposure for a lighting situation where the in-camera AE might be struggling a bit, I set the exposure using the back button in AEL mode. I then focus and compose with the shutter button half-pressed. I find that ergonomically it's easier that way round. I'd...